Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit controllers have settings that can be adjusted to fit particular needs. As one example, HVAC controllers commonly have a climate setting that can be adjusted between moderate, humid, and dry. This setting controls when the controller will operate the dehumidifier to perform dehumidification. The proper value for the setting depends on whether the HVAC unit is in a moderate, dry, or humid climate. If set incorrectly the dehumidifier may dehumidify a building too much, or may not dehumidify the building enough.
Conventionally, an installing technician or homeowner enters the necessary setting values when the HVAC unit is installed. This manual entry of information is time consuming and prone to errors. For example, the climate setting can accommodate moderate, humid, and dry climates, but a technician will generally install HVAC units in a single geographical area with a single climate. The technician must nonetheless adjust the climate setting every time the technician installs a unit. If the technician makes a mistake and enters the climate setting incorrectly, the controller may operate the dehumidifier improperly until the error is discovered.
It would be desirable if the settings of an HVAC unit controller could be adjusted quickly and reliably. Where a correct setting can be determined automatically with a high degree of confidence, it would be desirable for the setting to be adjusted automatically.